Building A Drive Shaft

[5.0Droptop]

My job title is industrial maintenance tech. However I have always been willing to take on what ever task they give me.
I installed equipment for our new drive line dept last summer. The dept is up and running. They asked me to learn how to build so I can help out when needed. I thought it would be neat to document the process.

The yokes are a press fit into the tube. There is a hydrualic ram that pushes the yoke into the tube. I have to use a hammer to tap on the yoke to keep in lined up straight. Once its all pressed in and assembled you have to use a dial indicator and a hammer to correct run out and make it run true. When it is all trued up you tack and weld. Let it cool the spin it up to around 1800 rpm and check the built in dials. You want under .005 movement on each dial. If its over .005 you balance it and weld the weight on.

I linked two videos at the bottom.

The welds are semi auto. The machine has a motor and belt to turn the shaft while the welder is welding.

Video of the shaft rotator.
http://s202.photobucket.com/user/SLJCCJ/media/Mobile Uploads/276B0698-3102-4ED9-9FD7-AFF52C82D078.mp4.html





Video of testing and balancing.
http://s202.photobucket.com/user/SLJCCJ/media/Mobile Uploads/185A76B4-26CA-4D27-BC60-6DE847358D6E.mp4.html

 

[RangerJoe]

Who do you work For?

Joe

 

[5.0Droptop]

Who do you work For?

Joe

Mascot Truck Parts in Plainfield Indiana.
We remanufacture transmissions , differentials and steering gears. And we obviously make drive shafts.
All for semis and heavy duty trucks.

 

[DH71986]

Well hell. That is what I used to do. I built drivelines for 6 years before I got asked to sell parts at the counter. Some days I miss it. I thought it was a very interesting experience. I used a machine very similar to the one you are using at the place I learn to build them. The second the machine was very different.

 

[5.0Droptop]

Well hell. That is what I used to do. I built drivelines for 6 years before I got asked to sell parts at the counter. Some days I miss it. I thought it was a very interesting experience. I used a machine very similar to the one you are using at the place I learn to build them. The second the machine was very different.

We have 2 machines. The one in the pics is an Axiline. The other is a westport.

 

[Deleted member 215073]

New side job building Mustang driveshafts in the future?

 

[5.0Droptop]

New side job building Mustang driveshafts in the future?

Nah. There are a lot of guys out there building shafts.

 

[mikestang63]

Nah. There are a lot of guys out there building shafts.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Nah. There are a lot of guys out there building shafts.

Some guys come prebuilt as shafts too I hear.

 

[gruvee87vertgt]

That's cool. Do you weld aluminium?

Btw, did you own, years ago a red foxbody vert?

 

[5.0Droptop]

That's cool. Do you weld aluminium?

Btw, did you own, years ago a red foxbody vert?

I can weld aluminum. Not set up to do aluminum shafts though. Yes I had a red vert white top white interior slammed.

 

[5.0Droptop]

That's cool. Do you weld aluminium?

Btw, did you own, years ago a red foxbody vert?

 

[Jason 302]

Nice!

 

[gruvee87vertgt]

cool, I remember your Red Stang from years ago...like 2003 or so?

 

[5.0Droptop]

cool, I remember your Red Stang from years ago...like 2003 or so?

I had it for several years. Then sold it.